News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2003

DEA National Training Benefits State/Local
Counterparts in Clandestine Lab Safety

JUN 5--Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Sweetin of the Rocky Mountain Division announces today that the national training program in clandestine laboratory safety has come to Denver and is being hosted at the Aurora Police Department's training facility at Fitzsimmons. Over 40 students are participating in the 40-hour, weeklong class that certifies these police investigators to work in hazardous environments.

On June 5, 2003, an invitation to the media is being extended to view a practical exercise where participants wear a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). This exercise which will be conducted in a smoke filled environment simulates the dangerous chemical environment investigators may encounter in clandestine or hidden methamphetamine laboratories.

"This school provides our State and Local counterparts with invaluable state of the art training that many departments would be unable to afford. It also reproduces our efforts in methamphetamine interdiction many times over," said Special Agent in Charge Sweetin. "Our Division covers 12% of the geography of the United States and with 97 DEA Special Agents we cannot cover all this area adequately without State and Local participation."

The Clan Lab school meets the rigorous O.S.H.A. standards that are necessary to certify the officers attending the school. Each student receives approximately $2,500. in safety equipment upon completion of the training week. Much of the money to provide the training comes via the C.O.P.S. program, which is an acronym for Community Oriented Police Services, which DEA Quantico Training Unit utilizes to train State and Local police counterparts.

The media is invited to view this training at 1:00 p.m. on June 5, 2003 at the Aurora Police Training facility at Fitzsimmons. Special Agent in Charge Sweetin will be available for interviews and photography/video will be accommodated. Due to security concerns attendance must be confirmed with DEA via Acting Public Information Officer William Weinman at (303)705-7356.